Jamaica competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was Jamaica's most successful performance in the Summer Olympics; it was approximately the same size from the previous games with a delegation of 50 athletes (25 men and 25 women), and its athletes broke the nation's record for the number of medals (all awarded in the track and field), won in a single games. Jamaica's participation in London marked its sixteenth appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously competed in four other games (including the 1948 debut in the same host city London) as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation. Usain Bolt became the nation's greatest highlight of these games, having won three of Jamaica's four gold medals at London, and breaking an Olympic and world record in two of the three events in which he participated. Because of his repeated successes for the most medals and records, Bolt became Jamaica's first male flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1984.
Overview Jamaica's participation in these Olympic games marked its sixteenth appearance as an independent nation since 1964, although it had previously competed in four Olympic games under two different colonies; one as a British colony in 1948, when the nation marked its debut in the same host city for these games, and the other as part of the West Indies Federation, together with Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.
Although the Jamaican athletes had won at every Olympic games since its debut, the nation's delegation to the London Olympics proved to be its most successful performance at any other Olympic games. It was represented by 50 athletes, competing only in 4 sports (athletics, equestrian, swimming, and taekwondo), which covered the same team size with the previous games. Despite the nation failed to target the number of gold medals from the previous games, Jamaica has created its historical record by winning the most Olympic medals in the overall standings (12 medals, surpassing the nation's performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by less than a single medal).
At these Olympic games, 18 athletes were awarded medals for their performance in events. Four of those athletes (Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Veronica Campbell-Brown) received multiple medals, three of them were Olympic champions from Beijing. Being the greatest highlight in the track and field, Usain Bolt successfully defended his Olympic titles in London, after winning three gold medals in the same events he participated. He was able to break another Olympic record by the fastest time (9.63 seconds) in the men's 100 metres, and the world record, together with his team, in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay (36.84 seconds). Although he failed to break another record in the men's 200 metres, Bolt became the first athlete in Olympic history to successfully defend his title in that event, winning the gold medal. Two of his compatriots, Yohan Blake and Warren Weir had to settle for the silver and the bronze medal, respectively. This was the second time that all Jamaican athletes guaranteed the medal standings in a single event, the first in the women's 100 metres sprint at the Beijing games in 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also defended her Olympic title by winning the gold medal in the women's 100 metres, ahead of her compatriot Veronica Campbell-Brown, and American sprinter Carmelita Jeter.
Among the 50 athletes competing in these Olympic games, three of them were from equestrian, swimming, and taekwondo. Samantha Albert, the nation's only equestrian rider, was the oldest of the team, at age 41. Swimmer Alia Atkinson, competing in the freestyle and breaststroke events, became the first to reach into the final after winning the swim-off showdown over Canada's Tera van Bailen in the women's 100 m breaststroke, but she narrowly missed the nation's first ever medal in swimming by finishing abruptly in fourth place. Jamaica also marked its debut in taekwondo, which was competed by Kenneth Edwards in the men's super heavyweight division.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Athletics Women's 100 m Athletics Men's 100 m Athletics Men's 200 m Kemar Bailey-Cole*Yohan BlakeUsain Bolt**Nesta CarterMichael Frater Athletics Men's 4 × 100 m relay Athletics Men's 100 m Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Athletics Women's 200 m Athletics Men's 200 m Schillonie Calvert*Veronica Campbell-Brown**Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce**Samantha Henry-Robinson*Sherone SimpsonKerron Stewart Athletics Women's 4 × 100 m relay Christine DayShereefa LloydRosemarie WhyteShericka WilliamsNovlene Williams-Mills Athletics Women's 4 × 400 m relay Veronica Campbell-Brown Athletics Women's 100 m Hansle Parchment Athletics Men's 110 m hurdles Athletics Men's 200 m Kaliese Spencer Athletics Women's 400 metres hurdles * - Heats only; ** - Finals only;
Athletics
Jamaican athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankYohan Blake100 mcolspan=2 10.001 Q9.851 Q9.75Usain Boltcolspan=2 10.091 Q9.871 Q9.63 Asafa Powellcolspan=2 10.041 Q9.943 q11.998Yohan Blake200 m20.381 Qcolspan=2 20.011 Q19.44Usain Bolt20.391 Qcolspan=2 20.181 Q19.32Warren Weir20.291 Qcolspan=2 20.282 Q19.84Dane Hyatt400 m45.144 qcolspan=2 45.596Did not advanceRusheen McDonald46.674colspan=2 Did not advanceJermaine Gonzales46.216colspan=2 Did not advanceHansle Parchment110 m hurdles13.322 Qcolspan=2 13.142 Q13.12Richard Phillips13.475 qcolspan=2 Did not advanceAndrew Riley13.595colspan=2 Did not advanceLeford Green400 m hurdles49.302 Qcolspan=2 48.612 Q49.127Roxroy Cato50.225colspan=2 Did not advanceJosef Robertson49.985colspan=2 Did not advanceKemar Bailey-ColeYohan BlakeUsain BoltNesta CarterMichael Frater4 × 100 m relay37.391 Qcolspan=4 36.84 Jermaine GonzalesRiker HyltonDane HyattRusheen McDonaldErrol NolanEdino Steele4 × 400 m relaycolspan=4 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionDamar ForbesLong jump7.7919Did not advanceDorian ScottShot put20.3111 q20.6110Jason MorganDiscus throw57.4639Did not advanceTravis Smikle61.8520Did not advance
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce100 mcolspan=2 11.001 Q10.851 Q10.75Veronica Campbell-Browncolspan=2 10.941 Q10.892 Q10.81Kerron Stewartcolspan=2 11.083 Q11.044Did not advanceShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce200 m22.711 Qcolspan=2 22.342 Q22.09Sherone Simpson22.973 Qcolspan=2 22.716Did not advanceVeronica Campbell-Brown22.753 Qcolspan=2 22.321 Q22.384Christine Day400 m51.052 Qcolspan=2 51.194Did not advanceNovlene Williams-Mills50.881 Qcolspan=2 49.913 q50.115Rosemarie Whyte50.902 Qcolspan=2 50.983 q50.798Kenia Sinclair800 mcolspan=2 Did not advanceBrigitte Foster-Hylton100 m hurdles13.986colspan=2 Did not advanceLatoya Greavescolspan=2 Did not advanceShermaine Williams13.075 qcolspan=2 12.833Did not advanceMelaine Walker400 m hurdles54.782 Qcolspan=2 55.744Did not advanceKaliese Spencer54.022 Qcolspan=2 54.202 Q53.66Nickiesha Wilson55.532 Qcolspan=2 55.775Did not advanceKorene Hinds3000 m steeplechase9:37.9510colspan=4 Did not advanceSchillonie CalvertVeronica Campbell-BrownShelly-Ann Fraser-PryceSamantha Henry-RobinsonSherone SimpsonKerron Stewart4 × 100 m relay42.372 Qcolspan=4 41.41 NRChristine DayShereefa LloydRosemarie WhyteShericka WilliamsNovlene Williams-Mills4 × 400 m relay3:25.131 Qcolspan=4 3:20.95 * Dominique Blake was selected to the relay team, but did not compete.
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionAllison RandallDiscus throw58.0629Did not advanceTrecia SmithTriple jump14.317 q14.357Kimberly Williams14.532 Q14.486
Equestrian
Eventing AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankSamantha AlbertCarraig DubhIndividual67.206954.00121.205921.00142.2051Did not advance142.2051
Swimming
Swimmers have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAlia Atkinson50 m freestyle25.9837Did not advance100 m breaststroke1:07.3910 Q1:07.488 WSO1:06.934200 m breaststroke2:28.7727Did not advance Legend = WSO Win swim-off; LSO Lost swim-off
Taekwondo
Jamaica has qualified 1 place in taekwondo.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageBronze MedalFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankKenneth EdwardsMen's +80 kgL 4–6Did not advance
References